Richmond Park and the Isabella Plantation (Thursday 12th)

Yesterday I thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous visit with a friend to Richmond Park and the Isabella Plantation.

I love seeing the deer - it took a while to find them yesterday though.  A couple of large groups were making the most of the shade under the trees 

A few were out in the sunshine 

We walked from the car park to the Isabella Plantation in the hot sunshine enjoying an ice cream on the way

The Isabella Plantation is incredible - an amazing assortment of azaleas and rhododendrons plus various heathers and wonderful specimen trees

Unusual two coloured flowers

There were quite a few artists painting 

Azaleas and rhododendrons have an amazing variety of sizes, shapes and colours

Many of the shrubs are so close that they intermingle with each other making unusual colour combinations

Big bright billowy blossoms

Subtle pastel shades

Specimen tree - with unusual dark spiky seed pods

 Another artist at work

Some of the shrubs were thickly covered in flowers

Others looked more leafy and had a few delicate bells hanging

Delicate pink 

Plant uncurling by the stream

Here's a group of them uncurling 

This is rather a striking colour combination

Little and large

Banks of colour - leaves barely visible between the flowers in many places

Reflections in the stream. looking one way . . . 

. . . and then the other

The sun blazed down lighting up petals and leaves

 A pair of ducks having a romantic stroll among the azaleas

Spiders webs wafting in the gentle breeze

 Butterfly on a plant by the stream

 Seeds spilling out of yellow flowers (Gorse or broom? I think this is probably broom)

Strange plant - I should really have checked labels - most of the plants are labelled here

A mandarin duck I believe

Pale pink bells - I did read the label on this one - it's a Williamsianum Rhododendron 

 Reflections in the pond

On the way back to the entrance

Pseudolarix Amabilis - very unusual leaves 

There's a gorgeous wisteria hanging down over the entrance to Pembroke Lodge where we went for delicious scones with clotted cream and jam, which we thoroughly enjoyed on the terrace in the sunshine.

 Jackdaws sit in the low branches over the terrace 

and as soon as anyone leaves their table they swoop down and quickly finish any leftovers

 It was a really lovely afternoon out.

Thank you very much for joining me